New woodwork/ Danish oil or Sikkens?

[Rolly Field]

I am about to fit new woodwork to my Traveller that I have Restored, I have seen another Traveller at a show that had new wood fitted by C Ware and he has Danish Oil it for the last 8 years and it looks great, but some other owners say only use Sikkens wood stain, I am think of using Danish Oil, has anyone any experience with any of these. Cheers

[chickenjohn]

If the car will be garaged and kept mostly out of the rain (only when driving in summer rain showers etc) then Danish oil is ok, but for a more durable finish for a car that has to live most of the time outside then Sikkens is the better bet. Go for the lightest shade they have and use clear cuprinol as the base.

[bmcecosse]

You certainly don't want any kind of 'stain'. Take the guide from the car you saw - with the 'Danish'........

[simmitc]

It depends on the use of the car. A concours show car that is garaged will always look great in real varnish, but will require regular rubbing down and re-varnishing. Danish oil is good if garaged (as noted above) but offers no UV protection. Varnish will crack and let in water. Microporous finished are best for cars left outside. Sikkens is reasonable. "Deks Ole" is fine, but needs up to 15 *yes, fifteen!) coats with drying between each. Burgess Wood Sealer and Top Gloss is a reasonable system that is great for a car used every day - it can be applied to damp wood and dries quickly! However, it will make even new wood look quite dark. My Travellers live outside and are used daily, so I accept the darkness. There is no wrong answer, just many different correct ones, depending on your own needs and preferences.

[chickenjohn]

Simmitc is correct, spot on!, I tried Danish oil on my traveller years ago and found the wood quickly became dirty when the car was used. (I do up to the 5000 mile insurance limit) and as a result of using Danish oil on a mostly outside often used car had to replace one side of wood and pretty soon the other! The Sikkens protected new side is holding up well though!

[ASL642]

When we replaced the wood on my Traveller |I used Danish Oil to starts with (Cuprinol 5 first) but found that the oil attracted the road dirt. I have since rubbed this down and re done it with Sikkens (light oak is the lighest shade I think). My car lives outside but under a thick cover.

[charlie_morris_minor]

i asked a simular question 20 + years ago and got several answer but the one i still stick with is.. "what ever method you choose..do it regularly and keep an eye on it!"

[Biggles1957]

I spent a lot of time researching different products before stripping off the old varnish and treating with an Osmo oil - almost colourless and supposed to have superb (12 x the normal) UV protection. Its a pleasure to use and the first coat really gets into the bare wood. I then gave a very light sanding and the second coat builds to a nice even satin finish. Covers well and gets into the joints nicely - all the reviews I could find sang it's praises so we'll see how it goes on Monty! The instructions say you only need to re-coat after at least 3 years, but I'm planning to do it annually. Most other makes rely on pigment to block the UV, but this stuff has a blend of natural oils that have an excellent UV block whilst remaining only very light in colour. If you want an almost white brand new wood look then I don't think there's much else apart from a clear varnish - which of course won't let the wood breathe and will trap moisture behind it. If you're happy with a slighty 'aged' look to your wood (which I am as it's 40 years old!) then stripping off whatever yukky stuff is on there and treating with Osmo oil is a brilliant way forward in my opinion because it looks good and allows the wood to breathe whilst the rain just beads up on it and doesn't 'wet' the surface at all.

[Kevincolley]

ive never heard of this osmo oil? sounds realy good where can you get hold of it?
ive got two travellers, only one on the road atm, and ive used varnish in the past but it has allowed the wet rot to start after chatting to a chap at the bmc rally last year with a very nice seris 2 traveller he suggested using danish oil to allow the wood to breathe, so in the bad patches ive removed the varnish and let the wood dry out, ive then soaked it in wood preserver and applied numerous coates of the dainish oil, and soo far it appears to be working
my traveller lives outside all year round and is driven every day come rain or shine, ive not noticed the oil attracting any dirt tho? having said that she does get a wash on a regular basis which probably removes the worst of the road dirt i expect

again tho i think its a case of trial and error and see what method works for you, but as always keep on top of it

[dalebrignall]

when i got my traveller the wood was stained very dark could have been creosote.i stripped and sanded it down applyed 4 coats of cleaar cupronal then danish oil.i oil the car every year , the water always beads up.because my wood is still the origional i have a lovley dark graining which i love ,be a sad day when i have to replace the wood .

[kennatt]

well not having ever had a traveller so not qualified to answer,but out of curiosity what did they treat it with from new,because it obviously lasted well enough for a considerable number of years,they were intended to be used outside,how long did the treatment last originally.

[ASL642]

My original wood lasted 45 years. I replaced it in 2007. The original wood was varnished. It was still apparent on the inside of the wood that hadn't seen daylight since it was fitted. I think it was some form of yatch varnish.

[midengineracer]

Dulux Coach Varnish, part number AFH2850. There is a reference number 48-81 listed...

No clue when they quit making it...

[aupickup]

wood guard as protection is very good

[Keith 66]

As a boatbuilder i have a fair amount of experience with varnish etc, first thing to remember Ash timber as used in traveller frames is classed as non durable. It rots with frightening rapidity once the water gets in.
The best oil based yacht varnish is without a doubt Epifanes, its an oil based varnish & will give a superb finish. I wouldnt use any polyurethane or 2 pack varnishes as they are too hard & will crack then are a nightmare to re finish.
Deks olya is over rated & does not last long before re finishing is required.
The woodstains vary also but can give good results, i use Johnstons woodstain on rowing boat gunwales & it gives a good satin sheen, they get really battered but last well. Trouble with woodstains they tend to have a lot of fillers in so altr the colour & obscure the grain, they do work well though!

[lambrettalad]

when the wood is off the car and new ......is it possible to tanalise the wood?
I know almost nothing about wood

[Mark Wilson]

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when the wood is off the car and new ......is it possible to tanalise the wood?
I know almost nothing about wood

I haven't changed my wood yet, probably next year, so not speaking from experience, but I do know a bit about wood in the building industry. Tanalising isn't the way to go, it's a process for structural timbers and affects their dimensional stability and raises the grain. What would be more suitable is "VAC-VAC" (sometimes "Double Vac"), which is used for joinery timbers such as window frames. The usual process is to machine and joint the timbers, then take them to the treatment plant unassembled where they are placed in a vacuum tank as part of a large batch. I would be interested if anyone else has tried obtaining the bits unassembled from one of the usual suppliers and tatken them for treatment prior to returning them for assembly into sides and doors. The bit I'm not sure about is the suitability of ash for this, as it usually a treatment for softwoods.

Mark

[Polly]

I have just finished putting 7 coats of Danish oil on the new Ash for my Traveller and then I read all the comments on treatment?
I did not put any treatment on before the danish oil and am wondering have I done it all wrong? I drive my woody mostly all year round but she does live in a wee shed and when possible we try and avoid really heavy rain. The wood after the 7 coats was left out in the rain and the rain sat on it in bubbles like on a polished car, does this mean I have done enough or should I keep going?

[Longdog]

The Wicked woody sports Epifanes recommended by my sisters other half who works with marine composites and all sorts of resins/carbon fibre as the best on the market. After 6 years the wood still looks fantastic and draws a lot of positive comment. So another vote for Epifanes.